Governor Ahmed Ododo of Kogi State has approved over N600 million for the payment of the 2024/2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for senior secondary three (SS3) students in the state.

Commissioner for Education Wemi Jones, who disclosed this at a press conference on Tuesday in Lokoja, said the fund would cover 18,734 students in public schools.

Mr Jones said the gesture was in line with the law for free examination registration fees for Kogi State students in public primary and secondary schools signed by former Governor Yahaya Bello.

The commissioner stressed that the law had made it mandatory for the government to pay for all internal and external examinations.

Mr Jones said the payment would be the second in the series.

He noted that the state government had since 2016 placed education as first on its priorities because of the need to reduce poverty and illiteracy in society.

“The 30 per cent budgetary allocation to education has made it possible for the state to massively fund education, which includes the payment of fees for the students.

“The aim of this is not just to lessen the burden of fees on the parents but also to reduce the out-of-school children in Kogi.

“In 2023/2024 registration, the state government enrolled over 15,000 students for the examination.

“In 2024/2025, the state is enrolling 18,734 students for WAEC across the 21 local government areas,” he said.

Mr Jones pointed out that the rise in student enrolment indicated that more students were abandoning private schools for public ones.

He restated the commitment of Mr Ododo’s administration to drastically reducing the number of out-of-school children in the state to the barest minimum.

The commissioner implored principals and school heads to cooperate with the ministry to have seamless registration for the benefit of children and the growth of the state.

He, however, warned that the government would come down heavily on any school principal who tried to shortchange the system.

(NAN)